Google DNI —
Branding — Art Direction — Digital Publishing
Client — Google Digital News Initiative
Role — ACD
Company — Code & Theory
Invigorating the ecosystem — The Digital News Initiative (DNI) is a collaboration between Google and news publishers in Europe that supports high quality journalism and encourages a more sustainable news ecosystem through technology and innovation. The previous site focused on DNI’s Innovation Fund — a way for creators and innovators to develop tools and technology that aids in the creation and distribution of journalism. Google had a real aim of making itself a genuine partner to the news industry and its various outlets and needed to present its commitment to the industry through the new site.
Fueling the next generation of newsmakers — A self service platform with inspiration, intelligence and investment to spur new ventures in news and tech.
the goal
In an era owned by technology, we need to remind ourselves to stay human.
The Background
Fueling the next generation of newsmakers — A self service platform with inspiration, intelligence and investment to spur new ventures in news and tech.
The Insight
The 'heyday' is over — There is a lack of consensus on where things are going, as news publishers are at different stages in their digital transformation journey. Large publishers in particular do not feel ready for change. Google must be able to successfully communicate to the techno-optimists and pessimists. Regardless of the type of innovation Google can play a part in, it ultimately comes down to driving better storytelling. ‘Stimulating the ecosystem’ is a seen as a credible role for Google, but their current perception from the industry is that they could play a greater role.
The Solution
Staying human— The visual look and feel was built on a series of brand experience and design attributes we put forward. Structure, Confidence and Welcomeness were key ideas we kept coming back to. In an era defined by technology, we need to remind ourselves to stay human. We developed the core Google palette into a series of pastels that evoke openness and relaxation and added a more human touch. We kept typography consistent with Google’s own Material Design so it still felt familiar to users.
